Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Quite honestly I don't know where to start, how to tell, what to share................it's all so amazing and different from home, and of course I haven't even got time to really sit and post as we've been on the go non-stop! However, here at the end of another amazing day, I'm sharing a few images from the city that is Bangkok, and the surrounding countryside. We've spent three incredible days, very hot and humid, with our guide and driver, seeing places both wonderful and very sad (the flooded areas where people are struggling to survive and rebuild their lives). All this has made us stop and think how fortunate we are to have safe, dry homes, food, clean water and sanitary conditions, and all the comforts in our lives compared to what many Thai people are going through right now.

Our delightful tour guide, Tuk, teaching us to open the lotus flowers which we then offered at a temple.

So much more to show you another time, and of course I still have much to share from the previous trip...............I'll catch up soon!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

..............oh yes, just like the song (from the musical Chess), our first Bangkok night was short as we arrived at our hotel from Seoul, Korea at 3:00am Bangkok time last night. I guess that was actually Sunday.............and we did sleep in a wee bit this morning!

A heads up here for ASIANA, the Korean airline that took us on the first leg from San Francisco to Seoul. 13 hours in a very comfy Business Elite seat..............complete with duvet, pillow, slippers, and wonderful L'Occitane en Provence lotions and potions.............

.............crossing Alaska and the

frozen Bering Sea...................

..........down across Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, and over the Sea of Okhotsk to South Korea.

These delightful Korean flight attendants were the best I've ever flown with, nothing was too much trouble, all done with a gentle manner...........and fabulous food.

My 20 year old Port came while I was still on my excellent Shiraz - unfortunately even they didn't help much with sleeping, guess it just wasn't my bedtime!

A layover in Seoul for a couple of hours, then off again on Thai Airlines for the almost 6 hour flight to Bangkok. Understandable that Paula and I were feeling a bit tired by then! A long trip but all flights were on time and everything went very smoothly.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Before signing off from Enderby Island...................a few more images of the amazing giant kelp beds surrounding the rocky shores.

This kelp grows up to two feet a day making it one of the fastest growing plants in the world.

Gas bladders keep the kelp plants afloat in clear, cold water.

Kelp is the largest marine algae...........plants live up to six years.

No roots as they are floating on the surface, instead they have a 'holdfast' which does just that, anchoring them to the rocks such as this. Note how thick and leather-like they are, and amazing shades of green, gold and brown.

The Yellow-Eyed Penguin......hanging out on the rocky shore above the kelp.

The ever watchful sea lion.............always posing for a portrait!

A Shag colony on the cliff top.

Leaving the beautiful colors of Enderby Island after a sunny afternoon expedition, we had a day at sea ahead as we sailed toward Macquarie Island, Australia.

It was one of the roughest nights at sea but oh was it worth it! Come back to see Macquarie Island.........BEAUTIFUL in sunshine and snow!!!!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Well here's a little change from the sub-Antarctic islands - but I will be back to post the best of the penguin pics, and the days spent in beautiful Australia, very soon.

The Golden Gate Bridge photo is hanging in my hotel room - as close as I'll get to seeing it on this trip!

Views taken from my hotel room window this afternoon as the sun set over San Francisco International Airport. I flew in today and haven't even smelt a turkey cooking let alone sat down to a nice tasty Thanksgiving dinner.

I was thrilled to be able to view the city several miles away the distance.

............and tomorrow morning I'll be back there with Paula as we start our long journey to Bangkok via Seoul, Korea. Hope to be able to blog along the way - so do check in now and then during the next two weeks to see what crazy things we get up to this time.........I've heard mention of elephant riding, covering my arms and legs for tip-toeing through temples in the sultry heat, and definitely shopping!

Off to find a bite of something now, and of course I don't eat turkey anyway!

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR is a fresh version of my former three year blog ACROSS THE POND which can still be accessed by clicking on the title above.I'm a transplanted Brit enjoying life in North Carolina.

Fifty five years of journeying back and forth across the wide Atlantic Ocean have kept me busy…….and made my life very interesting! Although I've now visited all seven continents, I continue to travel and look forward to sharing new places around the world.I love taking photos! All images are my own unless noted otherwise. Please do not use my photos without a request. I enjoy sharing and will usually say OK!

Malaysia 2012

Singapore 2012

Hawaii 2012

Hoi An 2011

Vietnam 2011

Chiang Mai 2011

Bangkok 2011

TASMANIA 2011

Australia Nov. 2011

Expedition Cruising 2011

M/V Orion

Sub-Antarctic 2011

King Penguins

My African Safari...May 2010

The Lion

Africa 2010

The Leopard

Africa 2010

Remembering Africa - 2010

Lassen National Park, California

Thanks so much for reading along this far……if you've enjoyed my tales and photos and would like to see more, click on the Older Posts button, or the photo thumbnails above to take you back…there are awesome countries and exciting adventures. If you love to decorate your personal space, dig and delve in your garden, and turn out tasty morsels from your kitchen..........you're at the right place!